A dam at the mouth of the lower Presumpscot River in southern Maine is due to be removed in early October. I have fished this area extensively and can say that opening up another 7 miles of river will only improve the conditions, especially for stripers.

"Removal of Smelt Hill Dam set for late October

By Associated Press, 9/17/2002 02:17

FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) The Smelt Hill Dam is scheduled to be removed by Oct. 28, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The dam's removal will open up seven miles of the lower Presumpscot watershed for passage of migratory fish, including alewives, herring, shad, striped bass and Atlantic salmon.

The 151-foot long dam was built in 1890 and was Maine's first hydroelectric power plant.

It generated electricity for the S.D. Warren paper mill and thousands of homes. It also blocked the migration of native fish and trapped pollution in the river.

The Corps of Engineers is paying about two-thirds of the total $1 million removal cost. The state and several other groups and U.S. agencies are providing the rest of the money.

Efforts to remove the dam began soon after is was damaged by flooding in October 1996. Central Maine Power decided to sell the dam rather than repair it.

The breaching is scheduled for Oct. 2.

Construction crews began installing erosion control measures last week and are now building a dike that will allow heavy equipment to access the dam."

With each dam that comes down, a river is reborn. Partially in this case, but if you think about the increase in habitat in square footage at the critical point where the ocean and river interact, THIS IS HUGE!!!